Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga came under intense scrutiny after Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa raised serious concerns over the management of a water treatment project in the county.
Mugaa was inspecting the Oyugis Water Supply Project when he questioned the condition of the treatment system and the technical capacity of the team operating it.
The CS expressed concern that weaknesses in the treatment process could compromise the quality of water reaching residents.
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga during a past event. Photo: Governor Gladys Wanga Source: Facebook
Mugaa questions how the project is being managed
Mugaa pointed to problems at the treatment plant, including clogged filters, and questioned why the equipment had not been properly maintained.
He told the team that the sand filters needed proper backwashing and replacement and questioned the technical expertise available at the facility.
The CS also warned that water could be treated at one stage of the process and then become contaminated again if the system was not properly managed.
Mugaa called for an experienced engineer to be brought in to oversee the facility and train the existing team.
The sharp exchange happened in the presence of Wanga, who had invited the CS to inspect the project.
Water CS Eric Mugaa. Photo/@mugaa.eric/Facebook
The Oyugis Water Supply Project was designed to produce 12,300 cubic metres of water per day and serve Oyugis and surrounding areas. The project was commissioned in August 2024 and is designed to benefit nearly 120,000 people by 2040.
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Mugaa’s concerns have now put the county administration under pressure to explain how a recently commissioned facility developed the problems identified during the inspection.
Millions invested as residents await safe water
The project has received hundreds of millions of shillings in investment, making the concerns over its operation significant for residents and taxpayers.
An Auditor General report previously raised concerns over a Ksh72.6 million variation on the Oyugis Water Supply and Sanitation Project, although the matter was recorded as resolved.
The latest inspection, however, centred on the functioning and management of the treatment plant rather than establishing that money had been stolen.
For residents, the biggest concern is whether the infrastructure they have been promised can consistently deliver safe drinking water.
The project was intended to improve access to potable water in Oyugis and surrounding communities, with the water works development agency saying it would improve water access and reactivate hundreds of existing connections.
Mugaa’s intervention has therefore raised fresh questions over technical supervision, maintenance and accountability at the facility, putting the Homa Bay administration in the spotlight over the quality of water services being delivered to residents.